As of December 2012, Facebook made it impossible to keep your name from being searched on Facebook.This means that anyone who knows your first and last name could try to find you through Facebook's search engine. This will be harder for people to do if you change your name on Facebook. You can change it to something completely different, change it to your first and middle name instead of your first and last name, or even change it to a nickname that is known to only a few close friends. Here's how to do it:  Click the gear in the upper-right corner of any Facebook page. Select "Account Settings." Select the "General" option in the left-hand column. Click "Edit" on the far right next to the name setting. Type in your new name and save your changes. Someone may be able to search you on Facebook if he only knows your email address even if you've changed your name. To avoid this, you can change the email address associated with your account. You may have to open a new email address that you only use to get messages associated with your Facebook account for this purpose; you can also select an older email that you still use sometimes, such as an old school email. Here's how you do it:  Click the gear in the upper-right corner of any Facebook page. Select "Account Settings." Select the "General" option in the left-hand column. Click "Edit" on the far right next to the email setting. Change your email address and save your changes. Tell your friends that you're serious about limiting your Facebook exposure. Even if you've set your privacy settings to high, talking to your friends can prevent them from trying to tag you in photos or posts, even if they don't succeed. Letting your friends know that you don't want a lot of Facebook exposure can also encourage them to avoid positing photos that include you in the picture, even if you aren't tagged. Whether you're listed as married to your significant other or jokingly in a relationship with your best friend, being in a Facebook relationship puts your name out there and lets the friends of the person who is in the relationship with you see your name, which will encourage them to want to see your profile. Anyone can see your Facebook picture, no matter what your settings are, so if you want to stay private and not let a person who stumbles across your picture know that it's really you, just pick a random photo of something else, like a sunset, and set it as your picture. That way strangers will be none the wiser. Anyone who finds you on Facebook will be able to see your cover photo as well as your profile picture, so you can also have a simple cover photo that doesn't reveal who you are and doesn't say much about who you are, either. This will keep random people from seeing who you are on Facebook. Limiting who can see where you work or where you went to school will keep people from stumbling across your profile if they search a certain company or school. To do this, simply click on your profile, and then click on "Update Info" on the top of your Facebook page. Your work and educational information will be listed on the left of the screen.  Just click on the icon that looks like a person or globe to the right of each piece of information and adjust who can see it, whether it's "Friends" or "Only Me." You can also select "Custom" and have this information be available to just a few friends. You can do the same to limit who can see where you were born, where you live, your basic contact information, and any other information you don't want to share with many people. Just click on "Update Info" at the top of your Facebook page and click the "Edit" button to the left of the information you've listed.  Just click on the icon that looks like a person or globe to the right of each piece of information and adjust who can see it, whether it's "Friends" or "Only Me." You can also select "Custom" and have this information be available to just a few friends.

Summary: Change your Facebook name. Change the email address associated with your Facebook account. Talk to your friends. Don't be in a Facebook relationship. Don't have a picture of yourself as your profile picture. Don't have a picture of yourself as your cover photo. Limit who can see your work and educational information. Limit who can see other basic information about yourself.


Being a professional poker player doesn’t mean having your name in lights: it means playing poker as your job. You don’t need to travel circuits around the world to be a professional poker player – you just need to make it your main source of income. If you find a place or two you jive with, stick with those places. It’s your bread and butter. You will likely develop a reputation for yourself if you stick to one or two places. People may start not wanting to play with you, or worse, recognizing your habits and strategy. If you sense this coming, you may have to widen your circuit and play unsuspecting strangers. If you’re lucky enough to be an amazing poker player who resides out of the USA, you can play online poker to pad your bankroll. Lots of people find this easier – it’s often quicker, pain-free, and, quite frankly, it’s easier to take money from the faceless. If you do live in the USA, it’s possible, but it may not be legal. The US decreed a law recently banning banks from dealing with online poker companies. However, you can play for free online to practice – or you could hack into the system and get a foreign IP address, though that’s not at all recommended. That huge number you came up with in the last section? You need that to play seriously. You need that for buy-ins and betting, and for when lady luck isn’t on your side. Every time you win a game, have half of your hand go directly to your bankroll. If you’re playing often, you should have it in a few months’ time. Don't be tempted to get into intense tournaments when you don't have it just yet. You may end up losing your earnings and having to start all the way back over. Be patient. Some people are just not smart about playing games of skill. They end up losing all their money on a hand they swore was going to be the big winner. They go home penniless, having to beg their friends for favors. Don’t let that be you! Have some money saved up for a rainy day in case you become a little too addicted to the game and happen upon an unfortunate losing streak. If you sense this happening, get help immediately. A gambling addiction can ruin your life, in addition to family members' and loved ones'. Talk about your problem or call a help hotline if need be. So you’ve graduated from Jimbo and Bubba, you played in the big tournaments in a few of your local casinos and did well, but then you went off to Vegas and got your shirt handed to you? Swallow your pride and back up. Hone your game, and then try again. There's no shame in it. Think of this as an opportunity to grow. Where did you mess up? What could you have done better in? Instead of letting this damage your ego, take it as a sign showing you how you can improve.


Summary: Find a place you can reliably make money. If you live outside the USA, play online poker. Start building up your bankroll. Have an emergency life fund, too. Don’t be ashamed to drop down a tier.